People in the Burns Lab
Kathleen H. Burns, M.D., Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Burns received her M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed a clinical pathology (CP) residency and hematopathology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and served as chief resident. Thereafter, Dr. Burns joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins and progressed through the academic ranks to Professor. She served as Vice Chair for Research and Programs in the Pathology Department and Director of the Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). She was recruited to Dana-Farber as Chair of the Department of Oncologic Pathology in 2020. Her research group is focused on roles of interspersed repeats in gene regulation and the expression and activity of transposable elements in human disease.
Wen-Chih Cheng, Ph.D.
Jack Heaps
Jack Heaps
Carlos Mendez-Dorantes, Ph.D. Research Fellow
Dr. Mendez-Dorantes received his Ph.D. at the City of Hope where he focused on determining the mechanisms of chromosomal deletion rearrangements mediated by repetitive DNA elements in mammalian cells.
Current research: I am investigating the contribution of LINE-1 retrotransposition to DNA replication stress, genome instability, and cancer therapeutic response.
Dr. Mendez-Dorantes received his Ph.D. at the City of Hope where he focused on determining the mechanisms of chromosomal deletion rearrangements mediated by repetitive DNA elements in mammalian cells.
Current research: I am investigating the contribution of LINE-1 retrotransposition to DNA replication stress, genome instability, and cancer therapeutic response.
Benedict Smail, Ph.D. Research Fellow
Dr. Smail received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Portland State University where he studied properties of RNA biochemistry and self-assembly and related these to theoretical problems concerning the origin of life.
Current research: I am interested in regulation of LINE-1 protein translation, and particularly whether translation of the genotoxic ORF2p protein can be enhanced in LINE-1 ORF1p-expressing cancer cells. I am also interested in mechanisms underlying LINE-1 insertion, including DNA repair pathways that affect transposition and processes responsible for 5' truncations, inversions, transductions, and target-site duplications seen at insertion sites. I am also interested in the evolutionary context of these mechanisms.
Dr. Smail received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Portland State University where he studied properties of RNA biochemistry and self-assembly and related these to theoretical problems concerning the origin of life.
Current research: I am interested in regulation of LINE-1 protein translation, and particularly whether translation of the genotoxic ORF2p protein can be enhanced in LINE-1 ORF1p-expressing cancer cells. I am also interested in mechanisms underlying LINE-1 insertion, including DNA repair pathways that affect transposition and processes responsible for 5' truncations, inversions, transductions, and target-site duplications seen at insertion sites. I am also interested in the evolutionary context of these mechanisms.
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Alumni Postdoctoral Fellows Lindsay Payer, Ph.D. Nemanja Rodić, M.D., Ph.D. Marty Taylor, M.D., Ph.D. Chunhong Liu, Ph.D. Graduate Students Daniel Ardeljan, M.D., Ph.D. Wan Rou Yang, M.D., Ph.D. Cheng Ran (Lisa) Huang, Ph.D. Fernanda Orpinelli Ramos Do Rego Medical Students Maria Kryatova, M.D. John Zampella, M.D. Nicolas Giraldo-Castillo, M.D., Ph.D. Undergraduates Ally Moyer Chloe Pacyna JaNiece Walker |
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